The final workout of the Open was over for me on Monday. As I threw the jump rope down and I caught my breath and checked the clock, I was both excited and just a little bit sad that the Crossfit Open had come to a close.

Functional movements are, at their core, real-world movements. You go outside and bend over to pick up the paper. That's a deadlift. You lift a box of Christmas ornaments back up on the highest shelf. That's a press. All these are movements that start at the core and force power to the extremities. These are the movements, let's be honest, that keep grandma out of the nursing home. You've fallen and can't get up? Get back up on your feet. With a squat.